Beauty
by egahjie
Summary: Read to find out...
1. Forewords

Beauty [Completed 

**by Fayelynn**

Forewords 

This is a short story about a Prince's search for the most beautiful lady in the world.

But, does he know what the word 'beauty' means?

Title:-  
Beauty

Casting:-  
Arron Yan as Prince Aaron  
Hebe Tien as Tian Fu Zhen a.k.a Xiao Zhen (or Hebe later in the story)

Setting:-  
Once upon a time, in a long ago time. The location is up to you to imagine how it look like but I'll do my best to describe it as well as I can.

Genre:-  
Romance  
Comedy  
(Fairytale-like love story with an uncertain ending. Read and you'll know the ending!)


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Chapter 1

On his mighty black-coloured stallion, he is on his way to a special place. The soldiers marched behind him, uniformly but also trying their best to catch up with his pace.

His name is Aaron, Prince Aaron is the future King of the Country of Haven, the son of King Leroy.

Where is he on his way to?

He is visiting a man, whom everyone has said to be the wisest man in this world for any questions you ask him, he would be able to answer them correctly. Prince Aaron had heard this from his father and got very interested about this old man. Thus, he asked for his father's permission to come and see this so-called very wise man.

There he is now, slowly getting off his horse as they have stopped before a cave. It looked eerie but he will not leave until he gets his answer. He marches in bravely, alone with the soldiers guarding the entrance of the cave.

He moves inwards carefully avoiding the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave. It is almost pitch black in there but thanks to the light from the entrance he could make out a little bit of everything in the cave.

Finally, light is seen coming from the other end of the cave. He approaches it and soon he sees an old man with a long white beard that had grown to his waist. He smiled as soon as he caught sight of Prince Aaron.

"You must be King Leroy's son, Prince Aaron," he says, with the coarse voice of his.

"How did you know?" Prince Aaron asks, surprised that he knows about him being King Leroy's son, "You are very wise indeed."

"It is nothing. I see that you have come to me to ask me something. Now, tell me what is it you would like to know," says the old man.

"I want to know where the most beautiful maiden, more beautiful than anything can compare, in the world is," says Prince Aaron.

"And why would you want to know that?" the old man asks him back.

"Of course I want to know where this maiden is. Anyone would want a beautiful maiden as his wife. Now, let me know where she is," says Prince Aaron.

"Okay, if you wish, Prince Aaron. The reach to this maiden you are looking for, you will have to leave this country and travel towards the east. Sail past the Mediterranean Sea towards east. Then, travel past the scorching deserts of the east until you see the first greens. You will see mountain ranges all around. The maiden lives at the peak of the highest mountain there," the old man instructs.

"What? We only have to sail past the sea, cross the deserts and climb up the highest mountain? Haha. That is more than easy for me!" Prince Aaron says, proudly, "Thank you very much! Once the maiden and I return to Haven, I'll let you be the first person to see her!"

Prince Aaron walks back to the cave's entrance arrogantly thinking that he would be the only one who knows where this maiden is and it would take him no time at all to reach where she is.

Prince Aaron got on his horse before shouting, "Let's go!"

He and his horse gallop off leaving the other soldiers to run after them.

Meanwhile, back in the cave, the old man is smiling to himself.

"Children nowadays only know how to dream. If I really know where that maiden is, she would have been my wife already now!" the old man says, shaking his head at the prince's stupidity.

Weeks, in fact, months had past and Prince Leroy with his leftover soldiers are using up all the last bit of energy they still have in their body to carry themselves past the deadly temperatures of the desert. One by one, the soldiers dropped and died of exhaustion and dehydration. With the will and courage in him, Prince Aaron had managed to last through everything till now. Three soldiers are still following after him.

The endless journey through the desert and the scorching temperatures caused unrealistic images to appear in their mind every moment. They had not brought any food with them as Prince Aaron had immediately left Haven after listening to what the old man said. Despite having bought supplies of food throughout the journey, the supply still dropped to the last bit. Their water bottle was so dry that not even a drop of water can be seen.

Then, one soldier collapsed followed by another and the last one too collapsed.

"Hey! Wake up. This is an order. You all are supposed to follow me through this journey," Prince Aaron says while shaking them all but to no avail.

Prince Aaron pushes back the motionless body and gets up to continue his journey.

'I will never give up until I reach her. Never!' he thinks.

Prince Aaron drags and drags his heavy legs trying his best to carry himself forward. Finally, his legs could not bear the weight of his body anymore and he dropped onto the scorching sands.

The sun continued glaring fiercely above Prince Aaron who is using his hands to pull his body forward. His hands started to bleed. His hands which are growing weaker and weaker every second stopped moving. Slowly, he became unconscious…

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Chapter 2

Three men wrapped in cloth from head to toe are riding their camels. They moved at the fastest speed their camels could go but with the load on their humps, it is good enough for them to move at half of their normal speed.

Suddenly, the man first in the row stopped having all the others to follow him stop too unknowingly.

"Hey! Watch it!" one of them shouted.

The first man looks back and apologises, "Sorry! Come here! There is a man here!"

"A man? Leave it! He would be dead like the others we saw on the way!" the second man shouts.

"No! Look! He is still breathing!" the first man says after getting up from checking the man's breath.

"Really? Then take him with us!" the third man says.

He found himself on a mountain looking at his surroundings.

'Where am I?' he thinks.

Just then, someone calls out.

"Hey there! Over here!"

He turns to see who it is.

A beautiful lady smiles at him, waving to him to come to her. Drooling over her beauty, he walked over to her not taking his eyes away from her. Soon, he found himself running towards her with his hands flung outwards ready to give her a hug the moment her reaches her.

Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the breeze that caresses his face while running.

He openes his eyes hoping to see that beautiful lady again but…

However, before him is someone else.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yells.

He pushes that person away and moves closer to the wall behind him.

"Don't come near me!" he says pointing his index finger at her.

"Why?" that person says.

Judging from the voice, you would know that that person is a she.

"Gh-h-h-h-o-o-o-s-s-stt," he stutters.

"Gh…h..o..o..ost? Ghost?" she repeats trying to make out what he meant. She looked up at him, "What ghost? Who is ghost? Me? How dare you call me a ghost?! For your information sir, my name is Fu Zhen! All for what I have done to take care of you, you called me a ghost?! Ghost!"

She blows air upwards, turns and walks out of the room.

His eyes are still wide open, shocked from what he had seen. After a short moment of being daze, he finally gets back to himself. He moves his eyes to look around him only to find himself in a room. This made him both happy and disappointed. He is happy because he thought he was dead and for a moment there he thought he went to hell! He is disappointed because the beautiful maiden he saw just now was just a dream and now, how much he wished that this is a dream too!

"She is the ugliest thing in the whole world if she isn't a ghost!" he says.

She, if used words to describe, would be a very hard thing to do. Her eyebrows are thick and rough, her face is covered in pimples and her hair is tied up in a bundle, making her look like an old lady.

"Oh noo….this must me a dream!" he says. He pinches his cheek and ends groaning, "Ouch! If this is not a dream…I'd better find away to leave this place!!!"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Fu Zhen complains and complains.

"Papa! He called me a ghost! A ghost! Why did you bring that guy here?! You had me look after him and all I got back was that – ghost!" she complains.

"Papa know you are not happy dear but I couldn't leave a man that is going to die and yet have the chance to go on living in a desert, right? Besides you are the only girl in this house and you volunteered to do this yourself, right?" says her father.

The last sentence made her feel dreadful. She regrets for having volunteered to do so right after noticing that he is a handsome-looking guy.

Her father pats her shoulder before leaving the kitchen with a cup of water. She lets out a sigh and continues pouting.

As soon as the sun's last ray was swallowed up by the darkness of the night, Prince Aaron got ready for his escape. He sat on the bed and waited till not even a sound was heard.

Soon, after a few hours of waiting, the lights outside are finally turned off and he could hear the doors of the other rooms in the house being closed. Carefully, he tips toe towards the door and opens it with total care not to alarm the other people in the house. After sliding the door open, he peeps outside to make sure that the coast is clear. Then, he creeps out of the room towards where he thinks the entrance to the house would be.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Chapter 3

The very next day, everyone is seated at the small square table located beside the kitchen, everyone which includes Fu Zhen, her father, Prince Aaron and another person.

Are you wondering why he is there when he actually tried running away?

Well he did try to run away but he had no choice but to give up because…

Flashback

He looks around him and he could not make out the least of where he is. Everywhere around him are fields of paddy and plantations.

'Where on earth is this?' he asks himself.

Turning to look at the house which he had just came out from a minute ago, he notices how run down it looked. The house was made of wattles and clay and the roof is just plain dried hay.

'I have never seen a place as low-classed as this,' the thinks to himself, 'How are they able to live in this sort of place?'

Then, he notices that all the houses there looked almost the same and the urge in him to leave that 'horrible' place increases every minute. However, the problem is how is he going to get out of there when he does not even know where he is?

'Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' he screams out in his heart.

End of Flashback

He could not help but sigh once more in his heart. Despite having difficulties using the chopsticks, he proceeds to take some vegetables from the dish before him. As if his thoughts are heard, Fu Zhen's father speaks.

"Oh yes. I haven't know what your name is and where are you from," he says.

"My name is Aaron and I am from Haven," Prince Aaron replies.

"Ah Long? Oh, nice to meet you. You can call me Ah You," the guy who is sitting beside Fu Zhen says.

"Oh, nice to meet you too," Prince Aaron says.

"So, you are from Haven? Where is that?" he asks.

"Don't you know?" Prince Aaron asks him back.

He shakes his head in reply and Prince Aaron is shocked that he does not know where Haven is. How is he ever going to return home?

Grinning, Ah You proceeds to ask Prince Aaron some more questions, "Then what do you work as? Do you plant rice like us?"

"Plant rice? No. I am a Prince, the future King of Haven!" Prince Aaron says proudly.

"Prince?!" the other three exclaims.

They exchanged glances with each other before breaking into loud laughters.

"You? Prince? Hahahaha! You must be kidding! Hahahahaha," Ah You says, unable to control himself from laughing.

Prince Aaron could not stand it and immediately stands up and glares at them.

"Hey! It is not funny, okay? And what I said is true! I really am a Prince!" Prince Aaron protests.

"Okay, okay what ever you say," Ah You says.

"Stop laughing. Let's eat and you, Ah Long sit down," Fu Zhen's father says.

Prince Aaron sits down before correcting Fu Zhen's father, "It is Aaron not Ah Long."

"What is wrong with that? It is Ah Long, right? Tian Buo, this guy sure is weird!" says Ah You.

Prince Aaron rolls his eyes and says, "Call me what ever you want. Sigh…"

"If you are a prince, do you need help going back to Haven?" Fu Zhen asks.

As if the dark tunnel is coming to an end, Prince Aaron felt so happy the moment she mentioned that. He needed it, very much.

However, just before he managed to reply, Ah You and Fu Zhen's father broke into laughter once again.

"That is a good one, Xiao Zhen!" says Ah You.

This time, Prince Aaron feels like a fool being laughed at like that.

"Hey! I am not joking, okay? I mean it. Eh-ron, if you really need to go back, my father can help you, right Papa?" she says.

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"Um…I can help but don't hope about it too much. I am going to go trading but I need to get things ready first…and it might take up to one to two months," Fu Zhen's father says.

"It's okay! I am willing to wait!" Prince Aaron says excitedly.

Fu Zhen feels happy for him but at the same time, she does not really want him to go.

'It is so hard to find such a good-looking man here but he has to go back anyway…' she thinks to herself.

Days passed as Prince Aaron tried his best to get along with Fu Zhen despite her looks and also Ah You which could be really annoying at time. Despite having told them that he is a Prince, Fu Zhen's father made him help Fu Zhen and Ah You up at the field everyday in exchange for his stay at their house and his journey back home.

Usually when night came, Prince Aaron would sit outside the house with Fu Zhen's company and he would constantly boast about himself, his family, his palace and his beloved country, Haven. Fu Zhen would always be listening attentively to what he is saying and she never seemed to get bored with it. In fact, she enjoyed each and every moment she had with him alone.

That night, it is as usual and Prince Aaron is talking about his father, King Leroy. He is telling his father's story of how he became King and how he and his mother got together.

Just then, a shooting star flies past the night sky. Immediately, Fu Zhen stands up and claps her hands together to make a wish.

"What are you doing?" Prince Aaron asks.

"Shhh. I am making a wish," she says.

Prince Aaron waited patiently for her to be ready. After she was done, she sat down again.

"Why did you make a wish suddenly?" Prince Aaron asks.

"Don't you know? It is said that when you see a shooting star fly past and you make a wish immediately, it will come true," she explains.

"Really? Well I don't trust that kind of believes though," he said.

"It is better to believe than not believing in it at all right?" she says, "Oh yes. Get on with your story."

"Where was I again? Oh yes…"

Soon, a month had passed and Prince Aaron is getting used to everything there. Everyone in the small village knew him and he knew them all. They knew that he is a Prince but they still treat him like a normal friend, a normal villager and a normal neighbour. He felt comfortable with that anyway.

Besides that, he and Fu Zhen got along really well but he himself did not notice about that. Everyday she wished that time would past slower while he wished that time would past faster so that he could be back in his lovely palace.

However, no one was really sure when Fu Zhen's father is going to be ready to depart for Haven, so, they spent their time with Prince Aaron as meaningfully as possible. This could be the best way to make him stay with them.

Yet, no one could change how things are going to happen. He is still going to go back only a matter of whether now or later. Then, two weeks passed very quickly and Fu Zhen's father announces that he is going to leave three days later.

"Are you very sure that you want to leave?" was what he asked but Prince Aaron said yes with out thinking much about it.

"Okay then, but don't regret if you can never return here," he warns.

'Don't worry. I have never thought of returning here anymore after I return home,' he thinks to himself.

Meanwhile, outside of the room, Fu Zhen had heard their conversation and feels very disappointed.

That night she cried till her eyes became swollen but all she said was, "What they say was not true…my wish did not come true…"

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Chapter 4

They get on the horse and wave goodbye to everyone that is there to send them off.

Someone is missing.

Fu Zhen had said goodbye to her father the night before for she cannot bear to see Prince Aaron leave, therefore, she stayed in her room that morning.

They leave the village almost immediately for the journey to Haven is a long one. They had to travel down the hill, across the deserts and sail past the Mediterranean Sea. Fu Zhen's father had made sure the supply is enough to sustain through the journey.

Weeks later, they finally reached the gates of Haven. Prince Aaron leads the way to his palace and Fu Zhen's father together with another two, follow behind. Soon, they arrive.

Prince Aaron gets down from his horse and walks into the palace.

The King and the Queen was shocked to see him. At first, they thought they were dreaming but then they realise it is really their real son, so, they run over to him and give him a big and tight hug which almost suffocate him.

"You scared me too death, dear! I thought you are never going to come back! Why did you go all the way to find that so-called beautiful maiden and so many soldiers were sacrificed, I thought you were too," the Queen says after they broke off the hug.

"I am sorry, mother. Besides, I am here isn't it? Don't worry anymore because I won't do such a silly thing anymore."

"So, do I have to punish that old man?" the King asks.

"Of course!" the Queen says.

"No mother! You should not punish him. It was from him that I learnt about what are the things we can get and what we can't," he says.

"Then…we'll let him go then!" the King and the Queen said.

"Sigh…" Prince Aaron sighs.

He looks out of the window of his bedroom.

He is at his warm, comfortable, big home isn't it? But why is he feeling so down? He could not figure that out. He felt as if something is missing from his life and he needed it desperately…but what is it?

The image of the small villager kept playing itself in his mind.

He remembers the endless field of paddy and plantations. He remembers the villagers there that are kind and friendly. He remembers how everyone was the same and no one holds a higher post than the other. He remembers how carefree everyone's life was there even though they have to work all day long, and yet they never complained a bit. Just then he remembers how happy was the meals he had there.

With the company of Ah You who never failed to make him laugh, he never felt bored. With the company of Fu Zhen's father who was like his second father, he felt protected. With the company of Fu Zhen…

"With the company of Fu Zhen, I…I…" he says but could not continue on for he does not understand what feeling it is.

'I felt comfortable with her around…I had a feeling I had never had in my life before…I felt cared for with her around…Does that mean…No, no. You would not have fallen in love with a lady that looks like that?!' he thinks.

Like a spell casted on him, the images of her never failed to leave from his mind. It followed him everywhere. During the day, he would constantly remember about her and during the night, he would dream about her.

Flashback

The very night before he left…

Fu Zhen knocks on his room door and waits patiently for it to open. It opens and Prince Aaron is standing at the door.

"Fu Zhen? Is there anything you need?" he asks.

"Um…could you come outside for awhile?" she asks.

She turns and walks to the door while Prince Aaron follows her out.

Once outside, Fu Zhen looks at him and asks…

"Can we dance together?"

"Dance? Why do you want to dance with me?" he asks her back.

"I know it would be hard for you to dance with me but please…because this would be the last night you are here and who knows when we'll meet again?"

"Umm…"

"Please? You can close your eyes or imagine that I am someone else. Just this once," she pleads.

"Okay then."

Then, they start to dance with Prince Aaron closing his eyes while imagining that the person before him is a very beautiful lady. A very special feeling arouse in his heart and the sweetness of it that came from them spreads throughout the village and all over the world. The two of them is like a pair from heaven that is meant to be together for ever…

End of Flashback

After so many days then he finally realises. After spending that period of time being with her, he noticed that she is not ugly at all…the heart she owned is made of pure gold, so pure that nothing in this world could make a thing like that…her heart is beautiful and that is what beauty meant!

He runs out of his room.

"Get the horses ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yells.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Chapter 5

He stepped through the palace's door, exhausted from the journey. He remembered following the way he had followed Fu Zhen's father when they were on their way to Haven, back to the village. He reached that spot but everything was different. The hills were the same, the trees and the sky…everything, but the land was empty. No houses, no fields with paddy and plantations and no people. Where was everyone?

Only then he thought…was it all a dream? But it couldn't be for everything was so real. How could it not be true?

(What ghost? Who is ghost? Me? How dare you call me a ghost?! For your information sir, my name is Fu Zhen! All for what I have done to take care of you, you called me a ghost?! Ghost! – Don't you know? It is said that when you see a shooting star fly past and you make a wish immediately, it will come true – Are you very sure that you want to leave? – Okay then, but don't regret if you can never return here) these sentences keeps on repeating in his mind.

He regrets it, a lot indeed.

Just then, his parents rush up to him.

"Son! What are you doing here still?! Come on, bath and clean up yourself! Someone special is waiting for you!" his parents said.

"Special? Who is that special person?" he asks.

"Don't ask so much. Just get yourself cleaned up! And quick!" they say.

"Okay, okay."

He goes up the stairs towards his bedroom.

'Why did they ask me wear a suit? It is not like today is any special day…if she is not around all of this does not mean anything to me…' he thinks.

He pushes the huge door of the common room open and looks up into the room. He is shocked to see…

Ding! Dong!

The wedding bells ring and in everyone, excitement fills up the palace. The doors of the entrance open and the bridegroom with his beautiful bride step into the palace. Today is their wedding ceremony and right after this, they will be the King and the Queen of Haven. Therefore, Prince Aaron will be known as King Aaron and his wife will be known as Queen Hebe.

And so, they lived happily ever after!

Wait! Wait! Hold on a minute! I am not done yet! I haven't told you what really happened yet, right?

Well, Prince, wait, King Aaron actually took the wrong route that was why he could not find the village…and about Queen Hebe becoming so beautiful out of a sudden it was all thanks to…

Flashback

Fu Zhen runs out of the house in the direction of where her father and Prince Aaron with some others departed. She still could not let him leave, she wants him to stay! Just then, someone stops her by calling her name.

"Xiao Zhen! Xiao Zhen!"

She turns back to find the 'sinseh' of their village chasing after her. After managing to catch up with her, she passes her a small bottle.

"Here! Take this with you!" she says.

"For what?"

"Apply this cream on your face twice a day and you'll never regret doing what I said! Now, hurry on!" she says.

"Okay. Thanks anyway!" she shouted as she continues running.

End of Flashback

And that is how she became beautiful. True love does not depend on the look of your future life partner, it depends on his/her heart and that is what real beauty means. Real beauty is the beauty of the heart and that is what attracts people to you.

The END


End file.
